Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award
Floyd K. Richtmyer, a founder and past president of AAPT
Established in 1941
Named for Floyd K. Richtmyer, distinguished physicist, teacher, and administrator and one of the founders of AAPT,the Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to physics and their communication to physics educators. The recipient delivers the Richtmyer Lecture at an AAPT Winter Meeting on a topic of current significance and at a level suitable for a non-specialist audience and receives a monetary award, an Award Certificate, and travel expenses to the meeting. Self-nomination is not appropriate for this award. Preference in the selection of the recipient will be given to members of AAPT.
The nomination form for this award is currently being transitioned to a new interface. Please check back soon to nominate someone new or complete a pending application.
Award Winners
2024
Katherine (Katie) Mack, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
"Dark Matter: The Cosmic Mystery at the Heart of Particle Physics"
2023
Jocelyn Bell Burnell, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
“Bursts, bangs and things that go bump in the night”
2018
Mark Beck, Benjamin H. Brown Professor of Physics and Chair of the Department of Physics at Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington
"Preparing Our Students for Quantum 2.0"
2017
Jay M. Pasachoff, Williams College, Williamstown, MA
"Observing the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017"
2016
Derek Muller, Veritasium You Tube Channel, Catalyst
"Why Some Confusion is Good-Evidence for How to Make Learners Think"
2014
Sir Michael Berry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
"How Quantum Physics Democratized Musi",
2012
Brian Greene, Columbia University, New York, NY
"Cosmology, Dark Energy, and String Theory"
2011
Kathryn Moler, Stanford University, Gaballe Labroatory for Advanced Physics and Physics
"Quantum Whirlpools: Tiny Vortices of Tireless Electrons"
2008/2009
Vera Rubin, Carnegie Institution of Washington,
"Rotating Galaxies and Dark Matter"
2007
Alex Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley
"Evidence from Type Ia Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and Dark Energy."
2006
Neil Ashby, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO,
"Practical Relativity."
2005
Carlos Bustamante, University of California, Berkeley,
"Measuring the Torsional Rigidity of DNA: An Old Problem with a New Twist."
2004
Lene V. Hau, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA,
"Light at Bicycle Speed- andSlower Yet!"
2003
Margaret Murnane, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO,
"Can We Make Atoms Sing and Molecules Dance? Using Fast Light Pulses to Observe and Control Nature."
2002
Jordan A. Goodman, University of Maryland, College Park, MD,
"Neutrinos, Dark Matter, and the Cosmological Constant"
2001
Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY,
"Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Its Use in Nuclear Reactor Regulation"
2000
William D. Phillips, National Institute of Standards and Technology
"Time, Einstein, and the Coldest Stuff in the Universe",Phys. Teach.38 , 203 (2000).
1999
Wayne H. Knox, Bell Laboratories,
>"Ultrafast Science and Technology: What an Exciting Time!"
1998
Douglas D. Osheroff, Stanford University
"The Role of Luck in Physical Discovery: A Personal Perspective,"Phys. Teach.36 , 133 (1998).
1997
H. Eugene Stanley, Boston University
"The Puzzling Physics of Liquid Water,"Phys. Teach.35 , 263 (1997).
1996
Carl E. Wieman, University of Colorado
"Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Ultra Cold Gas,"Phys. Teach.34 , 998 (1996).
1995
Joseph Henry Taylor, Princeton University
"Binary Pulsars and Relativistic Gravity,"Phys. Teach.33 , 200 (1995).
1994
Sheldon Lee Glashow, Harvard University
"The Unification of the Large and the Small."
1993
Richard E. Smalley, Rice University
"Carbon and the Challenge of Nanotechnology,"Phys. Teach.31 , 266 (1993).
1992
Kip S. Thorne, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
"Black Holes and Gravitational Waves,"Phys. Teach.30 , 198 (1992).
1991
Larry W. Esposito, University of Colorado at Boulder
"History of Planetary Rings,"Phys. Teach.29 , 209 (1991).
1990
Steven Chu, Stanford University
"Laser-Cooled Atoms: How and Why?"Phys. Teach.28 , 141 (1990).
1989
Robert J. Birgeneau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Novel Magnetic Phenomena in High Temperature Superconductors --How Are They Connected?"Am. J. Phys.58 , 28 (1990).
1988
Peter A. Franken, University of Arizona
"Newton's First Law, Star Wars, and AIDS."
1987
Clifford M. Will, Washington University, St. Louis
"Was Einstein Right?"
1986
Leon M. Lederman, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
"Unification, Grand Unification, and the Unity of Physics,"Am. J. Phys.54 , 594 (1986).
1985
Gerry Neugebauer, Cal-Tech
"Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)."
1984
David N. Schramm, University of Chicago
"On the Matter of the Universe."
1983
Edward A. Frieman, Science Applications Inc., La Jolla, California
"Fusion From Strange Attractors to Energy Policy."
1982
Karen McNally, Seismological Laboratory, Cal-Tech and University of California, Santa Cruz
"Earthquake Prediction: A Problem of Physical Scaling."
1981
Hans Frauenfelder, University of Illinois
"Physics of Biomolecules."
1980
Edward C. Stone, California Institute of Technology
"The Voyager Encounters with Jupiter."
1979
William A. Nierenberg, Scripps Institute of Oceanography
"Physics and Oceanography."
1978
Sidney Drell, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
"When is a Particle?"Am. J. Phys.46 , 597 (1978).
1977
Michael Tinkham, Harvard University
"Superconductivity: Pure and Applied."
1976
Britton Chance, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
"Optical Studies of Intracellular Spaces."
1975
Riccardo Giacconi , Harvard University
"Progress in X-Ray Astronomy,"Am. J. Phys.44 , 121 (1976).
1974
Steven Weinberg, Harvard University
"Progress Toward a Unified Field Theory of Elementary Particles."
1973
Michael E. Fisher, Cornell University
"Critical Points and their Exponents."
1972
Robert B. Leighton, California Institute of Technology
"A Physicist Looks at Mars,"Am. J. Phys.40, 1569 (1972).
1971
Edwin Land, Polaroid Corporation
"The Retinex Theory of Color Vision."
1970
Arthur L. Schawlow, Stanford University
"Is Spectroscopy Dead?"
1969
S. Chandrasekhar, University of Chicago
"Some Historical Notes,"Am. J. Phys.37 , 577 (1969).
1968
Robert R. Wilson, National Accelerator Laboratory
"Particles, Accelerators, and Society,"Am. J. Phys.36 , 490 (1968).
1967
R.H. Dicke, Princeton University
"Gravitation and Cosmic Physics,"Am. J. Phys.35 , 559 (1967).
1966
Murray Gell-Mann, California Institute of Technology
"The Spectrum of Baryon and Meson States."
1965
William M. Fairbank, Stanford University
"Near Zero A Frontier of Physics."
1964
Fred Hoyle, Cambridge University
"Massive Objects in Astrophysics and General Relativity."
1963
W.K.H. Panofsky, Stanford University
"Photon and Electron High-Energy Physics: Present and Future,"Am. J. Phys.32 , 409 (1963).
1962
T. Gold, Cornell University
"The Arrow of Time,"Am. J. Phys.30 , 403 (1962).
1961
William A. Fowler, California Institute of Technology
"Deuteronomy: The Synthesis of Deuterons and Other Light Nuclei during the Early History of the Solar System,"Am. J. Phys.29 , 393 (1961).
1960
James A. Van Allen, State University of Iowa
"Physics in Space."
1959
Charles H. Townes, Columbia University
"Masers and Their Applications."
1958
Philip Morrison, Cornell University
"The Approximate Nature of Physical Symmetries."
1957
Emilio Segre, University of California
"Antinucleons,"Am. J. Phys.25 , 363 (1957).
1956
Walter H. Brattain, Bell Telephone Laboratories
"Development of Concepts in Semi-Conductor Research,"Am. J. Phys.24 , 421 (1956).
1955
Eugene P. Wigner, Princeton University
"On the Development of the Compound Nucleus Model,"Am. J. Phys.23 , 371 (1955).
1954
John A. Wheeler, Princeton University
"Fields and Particles."
1953
Edward M. Purcell, Harvard University
"Nuclear Magnetism."
1952
Enrico Fermi, University of Chicago
"Large Cyclotron Research at the University of Chicago."
1951
John C. Slater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"The Electron Theory of Solids,"Am. J. Phys.19 , 368 (1951).
1950
John H. Van Vleck, Harvard University
"Landmarks in the Theory of Magnetism,"Am. J. Phys.18 , 495 (1950).
1949
Lee A. DuBridge, California Institute of Technology
"The Effects of World War II on the Science of Physics,"Am. J. Phys.17 , 273 (1949).
1948
Homer L. Dodge, Norwich University
"New Frontiers,"Am. J. Phys.16 , 209 (1948).
1947
J.R. Oppenheimer, University of California
"The Present Status of Atomic Physics."
1946
Paul E. Klopsteg, Northwestern University
"Technological Research in the University,"Am. J. Phys.14 , 165 (1946).
1945
I.I. Rabi, Columbia University
"Radio-Frequency Spectroscopy."
1944
Karl K. Darrow, Columbia University
"The Future of Physics, Past and Present,"Am. J. Phys.12 , 55 (1944).
1942
Gordon Ferris Hull, Dartmouth College
"The New Spirit in American Physics,"Am. J. Phys.11 , 23 (1943).
1941
Arthur H. Compton, University of Chicago
"War Problems of the Physics Teacher,"Am. J. Phys.10 , 92 (1942).
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